Expert: James Yee - 5/7/2011

Question
Hi James,
I find that many cigars have an alkaline or acidic taste after you get through 2/3s of the cigar.  Some are better, Montecristo #4 seems to be pretty good, but I am wondering if this is normal.  I don’t like wasting 1/3 of a cigar, but I find the taste changes very dramatically.
I live in Oshawa, and we have a great cigar shop where I can get pretty much anything, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Joe

Answer
Hi Joe,

The alkaline or acidic taste is caused by the natural buildup of nicotine and tar residue in the cigar head as you smoke.  When you smoke a cigar, the buildup of your saliva mixed with the tobacco will create a bitter taste and this bitterness intensifies the longer you smoke the cigar.  This is actually very common but you can reduce the chance of it occuring sooner by smoking your cigar at a slower pace.  By doing this, the bitterness will develop slower than normal and you can enjoy more of the cigar before the acidic taste develops.  It also helps that you do not overly-moisten the head of the cigar with your saliva when you smoke.  

As a general rule of thumb, 1 to 3 puffs per minute is ideal.  If you smoke faster than this, you will cause the cigar to burn hotter and faster and this will also contribute to the cigar's metallic taste.

As for cigar brand recommendations, Bolivar, Hoyo de Monterrey, San Cristobal, Vegas Robaina and Cuaba are excellent right now.  I recommend the Bolivar Belicoso Finos and Royal Coronas, Robaina Don Alejandro and San Cristobal El Morro.  For non-Cuban brands, Padron Anniversario, Avo Domaine Maduro, Fuente Hemingway and Opus X, CAO and Oliva are always great.

I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James